3D打印行业reviews the FlashForge Adventurer 4 3D printer.
The latest addition to theFlashForge USAportfolio is theAdventurer 4。打算作为先前发射的继任者Adventurer 3，单个挤出机FDM系统配有多个功能升级，使其成为值得关注的迭代。
Flashforge USA的冒险产品系列是一种多功能的产品，从预算初学者友好的系统到专业级制造引擎，提供了所有内容。Adventurer 4具有更大的构建量，新的专利交换喷嘴设计以及远程印刷管理功能，将功能比以往任何时候都多。
3D打印机的价格为799美元，针对各种潜在用户。这包括休闲业余爱好者，教育机构，甚至是专业设计师和工程师，他们都在寻找他们的下一个功能性原型伴侣。
Building on the Adventurer 3
我们对这种冒险家4开始对吧at the unboxing stage, where FlashForge proved to us just how far a little care and consideration could go. The Adventurer 4 came extremely well packaged with all of the moving parts encased in foam. The printer also ships with everything you need to start printing right in the box, including a 1kg spool of PLA and a 16GB USB stick.
Much like all of the FlashForge systems we’ve reviewed at 3D Printing Industry, the Adventurer 4 is noticeably robust and rugged. Under the polymer casing is a full metal chassis to provide stability and integrity, which is evident just from handling the machine. Riding the coattails of its predecessor, the 3D printer also operates on a cartesian setup and features a fully enclosed build chamber, enabling users to 3D print higher-temperature filaments without delamination and warping issues.
The first of the major upgrades is the new expanded build volume, which now sits at a hearty 220x200x250mm (vs 150x150x150mm). The extra play area is great for those looking to dabble in larger part production, as more complex models won’t need to be broken down into multiple builds due to size constraints. Users wanting to print at higher temperatures can also leverage the new 110°C heated bed to ensure excellent part adhesion. In line with its predecessor, the system also offers a flexible, removable bed that allows parts to be ‘popped’ off without much trouble.
Additionally, FlashForge has implemented what it calls a ‘level-free platform’ with the Adventurer 4 – a system that combines a CNC-machined aluminum base plate with automated nine-point leveling to eliminate manual calibration altogether. On this printer, the build plate only moves along the Y-axis and there are no springs under the bed to adjust the axes. Instead, it’s the aluminum plate that the bed rests on which guarantees bed flatness at all times. The company has even integrated dual Y-axis guide rails for that buttery smooth platform movement.
查看挤出机设置，冒险家3的模块化已重新出现，除了现在我们具有更高的喷嘴温度甚至更大的材料兼容性。使用Adventurer 4上的可交换喷嘴系统，用户可以在单击按钮的两种情况下在两种不同的热台类型（240°C和265°C）之间切换。前者适用于PLA和ABS，而后者将启用PC，PETG和碳纤维复合材料。除了它起作用并且运行良好的事实外，对此系统无话可说。
All the bells and whistles
自然,FlashForge最新的机器也来了with all the quality of life features (and more) you might expect from a printer in this price range. With safety in mind, the system’s new HEPA 13H air filter effectively stops up to 99% of TVOC powder and activated carbon dust from ever leaving the enclosed build chamber. The odor from the printing process is also significantly dulled, making for an extremely comfortable printing environment.
There’s also something to be said about the new filament spool holder installed into the side of the printer. The material bay has been expanded to fit 1kg spools with ease and even has its own transparent door. We felt a lot more confident commencing large overnight prints knowing we had ample ammunition in the chamber.
On the electronics side, we have a 4.3” touchscreen on the front where users can initiate auto-calibration, load filaments, and begin builds. The UI is clean and the menus are intuitive. There’s also an in-built HD camera for remote print monitoring purposes and that all-important Wi-Fi connectivity for remote build control. For those that get a little optimistic about material usage, FlashForge has very kindly implemented a filament runout sensor that pauses prints when the machine runs dry. This can be a life-saver on multi-day prints but you won’t know its value until it gets you out of a pickle.
FlashPrint slicer
FlashForge provides its own slicing software for use with its FDM 3D printers:FlashPrint。Sporting the classic grey and blue color scheme, the slicer is known for its clean-cut UI, well-organized menus, and ease of use.
Much likeCuraor any other mainstream slicer out there, FlashPrint is built on a set of basic translation, rotation, and rescaling functions. This makes it extremely simple to pick up, especially if you’re already familiar with the FDM 3D printing workflow. Once the model is nested in the virtual build space, users can choose between linear and treelike support geometries. FlashPrint’s support structures can be auto-generated to save time or added individually in a more precise point-and-click manner, although both work just fine in most situations.
For the more advanced users out there, FlashForge does of course provide an ‘expert mode’ too, where the full range of print parameters can be tinkered with. This includes cooling profiles, speeds, infills, and even LED colors.
All in all, FlashPrint is probably one of the more refined slicers we’ve used here at 3D Printing Industry. We’ve never run into any trouble with bugs or glitches and the software is about as easy-to-use as it gets. The program truly is one of FlashForge’s most noteworthy achievements, serving as proof of the company’s expertise in FDM 3D printing.
基准冒险家4：60/100
Now comes the benchmarking portion of the review, where we evaluate the printing performance of the Adventurer 4. We start off with 3D Printing Industry’s own benchmarking model, which consolidates many of our smaller print tests into one comprehensive part. We usually print this test in PLA to compare results between printers, but we also often try a PETG or ABS variant to see how the machine handles higher temperature filaments.
Printed in ABS, this model gave us an opportunity to see the base 240°C nozzle in action. We assign each of the individual sections a weighted score based on factors such as dimensional precision, surface quality, and structural integrity. The Adventurer 4 earned an overall 3D Printing Industry score of60/100(a good professional-grade 3D printer is a 60+).
查看悬垂部分的测试，该测试旨在确定系统能够在没有支撑结构的情况下打印的角度，冒险家设法打印到令人印象深刻的60°°而没有任何问题。这是一个异常的结果，尤其是对于众所周知的艰难材料，例如ABS。不幸的是，我们确实遇到了这里的Z轴问题，因为在打印过程中，喷嘴剪切并拆除了其中一个悬垂结构。我们怀疑这是打印机的床位上的打ic，但我们的其他测试并没有再次遇到问题。
Next up, the bridging test, which determines how well a system is able to print horizontally into the void. Much like the overhang test, the bridging test yielded decent results as the Adventurer managed to reach the 30mm bridge length before the structures started curving and morphing. With the maximum bridge length sitting at 50mm, this wasn’t a perfect print test by any means, but solid for the price point.
Much to our surprise, the negative precision portion of the test was executed particularly well. This is the first time we’ve been able to remove seven of the printed tubes so easily, where usually we only manage to pull off about three of them before the contact area becomes too great.
Moving on, we tested the Adventurer 4’s repeatability, which is a system’s ability to reproduce multiple parts with identical dimensions. This test includes three different geometries – squares, tubes, and hexagons – each printed several times and compared to the reference dimensions of the original STL files. We study the normal distribution of the measured dimensions and class ‘success’ as a mean of difference of under 0.1mm and a standard deviation of under 0.05mm. The accuracy of our measurement equipment is ±0.015mm.
Looking at the results, we can say the Adventurer 4 is above average for its price range when it comes to repeatability. The average mean of difference for all geometries came out to 0.0626mm (<0.1mm) while the average standard deviation clocked in at 0.0315mm (<0.05mm). These results are excellent as even industrial-grade FDM systems often tout dimensional accuracies of up to 0.1mm, which qualifies them for high-precision prototyping in industries such as automotive or manufacturing tooling.
We also tried our hand at a couple of screw-based models to see how the Adventurer might fare in a design environment with small and precise parts.
Both assemblies came out beautifully with no defects on the threads, smooth surfaces, and fine feature details. The screws can be assembled with ease and put up virtually no resistance. We would definitely be able to use them as part of a more complex mechanical system.
Marketing your system as being able to print carbon fiber-reinforced filaments is a bold claim, especially on a sub-$800 3D printer. The Adventurer 4’s higher-temperature 265°C nozzle is designed to enable just this, so we put it to the test with a functional planetary gear system made of FlashForge’s own PA-CF material.
就在蝙蝠时，印刷品很棒 - 表面质量很棒，并且单个齿轮不含缺陷。我们也不必担心后处理，因为所有组件都没有支持。冒险家4确实可以成功地成功地打印碳纤维复合材料。
Additionally, this print run also gave us an indication as to just how precise the printer is. The gear system as a whole, once assembled, operates very smoothly with minimal resistance. For this to be the case, the tolerances on all of the individual gears would have to be extremely tight, resulting in an assembly worthy of an engineering prototype.
The verdict
We’ve come to expect great things from FlashForge over the past few years, and the Adventurer 4 certainly doesn’t disappoint. Building on the success of the Adventurer 3, the system has kept what works and improved on the shortcomings (of which there were very few, anyway). With a larger build volume, swappable nozzle design, enclosed build chamber, and premium features like remote print control, the sub-$800 Adventurer 4 really does offer a lot without the hefty price tag.
此外，这台机器的碳纤维打印能力确实令人惊讶。您很少在这个价格点看到3D打印机，能够打印出如此高质量的复合零件，从而使其成为在研讨会中拥有的功能非常强大的工具。
如果您有预算并寻求下一个小批量原型制度，那么您可以很好地选择Flashforge Adventurer 4。
Technical Specifications
| Build volume | 220 x 200 x 250mm |
| Dimensions | 500 x 470 x 550mm |
| Weight | 20.1公斤 |
| 打印头 | One |
| Travel speed | Up to 150mm/s |
| Max bed temperature | 110°C |
| Max nozzle temperature | 265°C |
| 连接性 | Wi-Fi，USB，以太网 |
| Nozzle diameter | 0.3mm，0.4mm（默认），0.6mm |
Buy the FlashForge Adventurer 4 3D printer here.The system is available to order now for $799.
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Featured image shows the Adventurer 4 3D printer. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.
